A nightcap decked his brows instead of bay,
A cap by night — a stocking all the day!

Description of an Author's Bedchamber (1760).

Men may be very learned, and yet very miserable; it is easy to be a deep geometrician, or a sublime astronomer, but very difficult to be a good man. I esteem, therefore, the traveller who instructs the heart, but despise him who only indulges the imagination. A man who leaves home to mend himself and others, is a philosopher; but he who goes from country to country, guided by the blind impulse of curiosity, is only a vagabond.

The Citizen of the World (1762) Letter VII

Such dainties to them, their health it might hurt;
It's like sending them ruffles, when wanting a shirt.

The Haunch of Venison (1776).

There is no arguing with Johnson: for if his pistol misses fire, he knocks you down with the butt end of it.

For he who fights and runs away
May live to fight another day;
But he who is in battle slain
Can never rise and fight again.

The Art of Poetry on a New Plan (1761), vol. ii. p. 147.

The saying "he who fights and runs away may live to fight another day" dates at least as far back as Menander (ca. 341–290 B.C.), Gnomai Monostichoi, aphorism #45: ἀνήρ ὁ ϕɛύγων καὶ ράλίν μαχήɛṯαί (a man who flees will fight again). The Attic Nights (book 17, ch. 21) of Aulus Gellius (ca. 125–180 A.D.) indicates it was already widespread in the second century: "...the orator Demosthenes sought safety in flight from the battlefield, and when he was bitterly taunted with his flight, he jestingly replied in the well-known verse: The man who runs away will fight again."

A book may be very amusing with numerous errors, or it may be very dull without a single absurdity.

Preface.

I was ever of the opinion that the honest man who married and brought up a large family, did more service than he who continued single, and only talked of population.

Ch. 1, opening lines.

I...chose a wife, as she did her wedding gown, not for a fine glossy surface, but such qualities as would wear well.

Ch. 1.

We sometimes had those little rubs which Providence sends to enhance the value of its favors.

Ch. 1.

Handsome is that handsome does.

Ch. 1.

Let us draw upon Content for the deficiencies of fortune.

Ch. 3.

That virtue which requires to be ever guarded is scarce worth the sentinel.

Ch. 5.

The premises being thus settled, I proceed to observe that the concatenation of self-existence, proceeding in a reciprocal duplicate ratio, naturally produces a problematical dialogism, which in some measure proves that the essence of spirituality may be referred to the second predicable.

Ch. 7.

I find you want me to furnish you with argument and intellects too.

Ch. 7.

Turn, gentle Hermit of the Dale,
And guide my lonely way
To where yon taper cheers the vale
With hospitable ray.

Ch. 8, The Hermit (Edwin and Angelina), st. 1.

Taught by that Power that pities me,
I learn to pity them.

Ch. 8, The Hermit (Edwin and Angelina), st. 6.

Man wants but little here below,
Nor wants that little long.

Ch. 8, The Hermit (Edwin and Angelina), st. 8.

And what is friendship but a name,
A charm that lulls to sleep,
A shade that follows wealth or fame,
And leaves the wretch to weep?

Ch. 8, The Hermit (Edwin and Angelina), st. 19.

The sigh that rends thy constant heart
Shall break thy Edwin's too.

Ch. 8, The Hermit (Edwin and Angelina), st. 33.

By the living jingo, she was all of a muck of sweat.

Ch. 9.

They would talk of nothing but high life, and high-lived company, with other fashionable topics, such as pictures, taste, Shakespeare, and the musical glasses.

Ch. 9.

It has been a thousand times observed, and I must observe it once more, that the hours we pass with happy prospects in view are more pleasing than those crowned with fruition.

Ch. 10.

Conscience is a coward, and those faults it has not strength enough to prevent it seldom has justice enough to accuse.

Ch. 13.

It seemed to be pretty plain, that they had more of love than matrimony in them.

Ch. 16.

A kind and gentle heart he had,
To comfort friends and foes;
The naked every day he clad
When he put on his clothes.

Ch. 17, An Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog, st. 3.

And in that town a dog was found,
As many dogs there be,
Both mongrel, puppy, whelp, and hound,
And curs of low degree.

Ch. 17, An Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog, st. 4.

The dog, to gain some private ends,
Went mad, and bit the man.

Ch. 17, An Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog, st. 5.

The man recovered of the bite,
The dog it was that died.

Ch. 17, An Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog, st. 8.

To what happy accident is it that we owe so unexpected a visit?

Ch. 19.

To what fortuitous occurrence do we not owe every pleasure and convenience of our lives.

Ch. 21.

When lovely woman stoops to folly,
And finds too late that men betray,
What charm can soothe her melancholy?
What art can wash her guilt away?

Ch. 29, Song, st. 1.

The only art her guilt to cover,
To hide her shame from every eye,
To give repentance to her lover,
And wring his bosom, is — to die.

The hawthorn bush, with seats beneath the shade,
For talking age and whispering lovers made.

Line 13.

The bashful virgin's sidelong looks of love,
The matron's glance that would those looks reprove.

Line 29.

Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey,
Where wealth accumulates, and men decay;
Princes and lords may flourish, or may fade;
A breath can make them, as a breath has made;
But a bold peasantry, their country's pride,
When once destroyed, can never be supplied.

Line 51.

His best companions, innocence and health;
And his best riches, ignorance of wealth.

Line 61.

How happy he who crowns in shades like these,
A youth of labour with an age of ease.

Line 99.

Bends to the grave with unperceived decay,
While resignation gently slopes the way;
And, all his prospects brightening to the last,
His heaven commences ere the world be past.

Line 109.

The watchdog's voice that bayed the whispering wind,
And the loud laugh that spoke the vacant mind.

Line 121.

A man he was to all the country dear,
And passing rich with forty pounds a year.

Line 141.

Wept o'er his wounds, or tales of sorrow done,
Shoulder'd his crutch, and shew'd how fields were won.

Line 157.

Careless their merits or their faults to scan,
His pity gave ere charity began.
Thus to relieve the wretched was his pride,
And e'en his failings leaned to Virtue's side.

Line 161.

And, as a bird each fond endearment tries
To tempt its new-fledged offspring to the skies,
He tried each art, reproved each dull delay,
Allured to brighter worlds, and led the way.

Line 167.

Truth from his lips prevailed with double sway,
And fools, who came to scoff, remained to pray.

Line 179.

Even children followed with endearing wile,
And plucked his gown, to share the good man's smile.

Line 183.

A man severe he was, and stern to view;
I knew him well, and every truant knew:
Well had the boding tremblers learned to trace
The day's disasters in his morning face;
Full well they laughed with counterfeited glee,
At all his jokes, for many a joke had he;
Full well the bust whisper, circling round,
Conveyed the dismal tidings when he frowned;
Yet he was kind; or if severe in aught,
The love he bore to learning was in fault;
The village all declared how much he knew;
'Twas certain he could write, and cipher too.

Line 197.

As some tall cliff that lifts its awful form,
Swells from the vale, and midway leaves the storm,—
Though round its breast the rolling clouds are spread,
Eternal sunshine settles on its head.

Line 189.

Well had the boding tremblers learn'd to trace
The day's disasters in his morning face;
Full well they laugh'd with counterfeited glee
At all his jokes, for many a joke had he;
Full well the busy whisper circling round
Convey'd the dismal tidings when he frown'd.
Yet was he kind, or if severe in aught,
The love he bore to learning was in fault;
The village all declar'd how much he knew,
'T was certain he could write and cipher too.

Line 199.

In arguing too, the parson owned his skill,
For e'en though vanquished, he could argue still;
While words of learned length, and thundering sound
Amazed the gazing rustics ranged around;
And still they gazed, and still the wonder grew,
That one small head could carry all he knew.

Line 211.

Where village statesmen talked with looks profound,
And news much older than their ale went round.

Line 223.

The whitewashed wall, the nicely sanded floor,
The varnished clock that clicked behind the door;
The chest contrived a double debt to pay,
A bed by night, a chest of drawers by day.

Line 227.

The twelve good rules, the royal game of goose.

Line 232.

To me more dear, congenial to my heart,
One native charm, than all the gloss of art.

Line 253.

And, ev'n while fashion's brightest arts decoy,
The heart distrusting asks, if this be joy.

Line 263.

Her modest looks the cottage might adorn,
Sweet as the primrose peeps beneath the thorn.

Line 329.

Through torrid tracts with fainting steps they go,
Where wild Altama murmurs to their woe.

Line 344.

In all the silent manliness of grief.

Line 384.

O Luxury! thou curst by Heaven's decree!

Line 385.

Thou source of all my bliss, and all my woe,
That found'st me poor at first, and keep'st me so.

Our Garrick's a salad; for in him we see
Oil, vinegar, sugar, and saltness agree!

Line 11.

Who mix'd reason with pleasure, and wisdom with mirth:
If he had any faults, he has left us in doubt.

Line 24.

Here lies our good Edmund, whose genius was such,
We scarcely can praise it, or blame it too much;
Who, born for the universe, narrow'd his mind,
And to party gave up what was meant for mankind;
Though fraught with all learning, yet straining his throat
To persuade Tommy Townshend to lend him a vote.
Who too deep for his hearers still went on refining,
And thought of convincing while they thought of dining:
Though equal to all things, for all things unfit;
Too nice for a statesman, too proud for a wit.

Line 29.

His conduct still right, with his argument wrong.

Line 46.

A flattering painter, who made it his care
To draw men as they ought to be, not as they are.

Line 63.

Here lies David Garrick, describe me, who can,
An abridgment of all that was pleasant in man.

Line 93.

As a wit, if not first, in the very first line.

Line 96.

On the stage he was natural, simple, affecting;
'Twas only that when he was off he was acting.

Line 101.

He cast off his friends as a huntsman his pack,
For he knew when he pleased he could whistle them back.

Line 107.

Who peppered the highest was surest to please.

Line 112.

When he talked of their Raphaels, Correggios, and stuff,
He shifted his trumpet and only took snuff.